snowpack

This week’s Water Wednesday Outdoor Report looks at early-season snowpack levels across the San Miguel, Dolores, Animas, and San Juan basins, recent precipitation totals around the region, and how upcoming moisture may influence drought conditions.

Autumn weather in Cortez and Montezuma County has been lovely so far, but of course there is a down side – a lack of precipitation.

Highs run 10° above normal today and Friday before a weekend storm brings widespread rain, cooler temps, and mountain snow.

This past water year was dry, with not all of the snowpack making it into the basin's rivers and streams. Forecasters will be looking out for conditions driven by climate change and prolonged drought as they consider what Water Year 2026 will bring.

University of Montana Climate Office launches regional project to strengthen drought resilience while the Four Corners shifts its focus to snowpack

A quick-moving trough brings breezy winds and isolated mountain showers today, with sunshine midweek and cooler, wetter weather returning this weekend.

Water experts gathered at the University of Colorado, Boulder for talks about the future of the Colorado River. Top policymakers were notably absent.

Unusually fast snowmelt is triggering drought conditions and early fire risks across the West, with runoff declining and water forecasts revised downward for key river basins.

Hydrologists say that hotter temperatures have been drying out soils and vegetation in the west, leading to less water flowing to rivers and streams when snow melts.

Seasonal forecasts point to a warm and dry spring. It’s not good news for a region that saw record heat and dry conditions last autumn.